WLGA welcomes amendments to Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, but further changes needed
01 July 2011
We welcome amendments to Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill but changes do not go far enough, says WLGA
Amendments by the UK Government to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill which will make it easier for Police and Crime Panels to veto Police and Crime Commissioners’ council tax proposals as well as enable Panels to scrutinise both the Commissioner and Chief Constables about their work to tackle crime are welcome but do not go far enough says the WLGA.
Cllr Des Hillman (Blaenau Gwent), WLGA Spokesperson for Community Safety said:
“While we welcome these concessions made by the Government, we do not believe that the new system of police governance and accountability to be introduced is the right one for Wales. Even with these amendments, the Police and Crime Panels to be established to provide oversight of the Commissioner will be weak and will not be able to provide the ‘robust checks and balance’ that the Government envisage.”
“With the unprecedented vote in the National Assembly earlier this year, which refused the UK Government to establish the Panels within local government structures, the position and operation of Panels in Wales is unclear and options currently being considered are not satisfactory. In our view, the new system will weaken the link between local authorities and police governance in addressing crime, a concern we have held since the original proposals were published. Local authorities and the police work extremely well together in tackling crime and disorder and antisocial behaviour and it is imperative that any new system of police governance does not sever or weaken this link or disrupt the work on-going, through Community Safety Partnerships to make our communities safer.”
He added:
“The WLGA welcomes the amendments that have been made in the House of Lords during their scrutiny of the Bill, in particular the removal of the clause that establishes Commissioners. Welsh local government opposes the model being put forward by the UK Government and does not believe it will be more effective than the current model of Police Authorities. We call on the UK Government to pilot and test the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners so that stakeholders and the public can be confident that any new governance arrangements actually work in practice and do not create any unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Ends